The final week

So we're in the final week of Auntie E and the gang's departure. Yesterday was a full party day with their big farewell BBQ and party at their house. I spent most of the day up at their place for the party with the kids. Papa met us up there after he returned from a successful camping / boating weekend. Luckily, Bean seemed to have made a full recovery by Sunday. He was full of energy and ready to go all day long. Neither of them had a nap on Sunday and we stayed late. Having two cars left us with the luxury of taking one child home before the one, which Papa did with Bean around 8pm. I followed at 9:30pm with Schmoo who was practically falling asleep standing up, but still managed to talk to me the whole way back to town (about 1/2 hour drive).

The kids had a great time at the party. Schmoo got to be a big girl, following cousin I's two big cousins (R who is 11 and D who is 8) around all day. The older girls were great with her and included her in their adventures. The rest of the seemingly hundreds of small children were Bean's age and younger, so they had a great time wandering around their yard entertaining each other. They all knew one another so there were some great interactions. The adults just had a great time talking (although sporadically at times) and watching the children. A couple of the guys decided to create a ping pong table so that became the centre of attention about halfway through the party - to play for the adults and to watch for the kids.

Today was a more regular day. The kids were still up at 6:30am....why, I have no idea, but they were. We went to the gym and returned home expecting to find Auntie E and the kids, but instead we got to have cousin D (who is 8) hang out with us for the day. Schmoo, especially, was in heaven having one of the big girls around. It was no trouble for me as she entertained both kids for most of the day. We went to the bakery for lunch and met up with our friends C & S and their mom and then we all went down to the big park to play for a couple of hours. We saw Auntie E and Uncle R in transition through our house a couple of times in the afternoon and then enjoyed an early bedtime for the kids. It was pizza for supper for me and Grandma Lady. Papa seems to have picked up a bug in his throat so isn't feeling great.